Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon, Feb. 16, at the Central Christian Church in Nocona for Mrs. H. J. Justin, wife of the late H. J. Justin, and a pioneer citizen of this county. Services were conducted by Rev. Leslie Finnell, assisted by Rev. C. E. Cogswell of Knox City, former pastor of the Christian Church here. She was laid to rest in the family plot at the Nocona Cemetery. Funeral rites were conducted by Gause-Ware Memorial Chapel in Fort Worth Wednesday with Rev. Finnell officiating.

Mrs. Justin was the widow of H. J. Justin, pioneer citizen of Texas, who started with only a few hand tools and was responsible for what is now the H. J. Justin & Sons boot and shoe factory in Fort Worth and the leather goods factories in Nocona.

Mrs. Justin and the family have a host of friends here.

A native Texan, Mrs. Justin was born in Lipan, Hood County. In 1886 she married at old Spanish Fort where Mr. Justin set up his first factory. Two years later, the couple, with John S. Justin, the eldest of their three sons, who now is president of the firm, moved to Nocona with the advent of the railroad here.

Here was born W. E. Justin and S. A. Justin of Fort Worth and four surviving daughters, Miss Myrl Justin and Mrs. Fern Stenger, both of Fort Worth, Mrs. R.S. Lemon and Miss Enid Justin, president of the Nocona Boot Co., both of Nocona.

After her husband’s death in 1918, Mrs. Justin, for a while, assumed active management of the firm, but soon relinquished those duties to her sons. When her husband first began boot making, she frequently assisted him with the stitching of the cowboy boots, which later became standard equipment for ranch hand in this and other states.

Source: Nocona News - February 17, 1939